Radiance Monster Hunter (IC)

[GreenKarl]

With that Lady Gearsmith nods and says "Good luck on your first mission. Try not to draw too much attention to yourselves and always try and maintain the Honor of our Order. 'May your actions reveal those who would do harm, concealing themselves in the darkness between the light.'*"

With that you all head to the pallor and outside onto a brisk cold and foggy Londinium. Most of you seem to enjoying the morning air (except Giuseppe, bundled under a winter jacket), and await the carriage summoned by Habs. The streets of the city are already bustling with foot traffic, carriages and wagon carts, and the occasional steam-powered horseless carriages.

With the carriage's arrival you pile into the back and head for Miss Byrne. It takes about twenty minutes of winding through the busy streets. At your destination you find yourself before a modest two-story home in the fairly clean middle-class neighborhood. The tengu driver says "One silver piece my lords" before heading out.

Knocking politely a young Human woman answers the door. Her bloodshot eyes partially concealed by her dark spectacles. She is also absently wearing a pair of elctro-tech goggles push up onto her forehead.

She introduces herself as Miss Dianna Byrne and invites you inside. She then leads you into a modestly sized sitting room with a couple of long couches and individual chairs. Taking a seat she says "Thank you for coming. Please have a seat. Might I offer you so tea?"

[sblock=Miss Dianna Byrne]
[/sblock]

GM: *One of many common saying within the Order

 

[tglassy]

"Thank you, ma'am," Eli says taking off his hat as he enters the room, sitting in one of the individual chairs, but on the edge rather than lounging. His momma taught him not to make himself at home in someone else's house. "Don't suppose you have any coffee?"


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[Forged Fury]

[IC] Radiance Monster Hunters

Giuseppe frowned at the goggles on the woman's head. At the offer of tea, the kobold leaned forward to try and get a look in the kitchen, trying to determine if the woman used well-regarded steam tech to brew her tea or that devil's work of electro-tech. Not being able to get a good look, he said, "No, thank you. I had my fill this morning." While the others responded, Giuseppe cast his eyes around the room, trying to get a read on the woman.

OOC: Appraise Personal Worth (DC 18) = [roll0]

 

[GreenKarl]

Miss Byrne smiles slightly but shakes her head negatively "Sorry, never developed a taste I am afraid..."

 

[tglassy]

Eli smiled a bit, "Then you've never had a pot of Arbuckle's pre-roasted coffee. Nothin' like a cup of coffee while watching the sun rise. But that's all right. No tea for me, either. Tea here isn't the same as tea back home."

Eli waited for the group to get settled before going on. "Why don't you start from the beginning. I understand that your mother passed recently?"

 

[GreenKarl]

Looking around Giuseppe is fairly sure that the lady is at the very least Middle Class. You would guess that she is some type of mid-level steam and/or electro-tech engineer, based on some of the pictures, knickknacks and various awards scattered about the room. It appears that she is a member of the local Machinist Union of the Empire, a fairly large organization of various engineer types that act something akin to a social club. Finally you spotted an award from the Trevithick Rail & Steam Company, hinting pretty strongly that this is who she works for*.

To Eli, Miss Byrne says "Of course, of course. I assume that the... Order... has informed you of my requests - the location of my mother's final remains."

Shipping from her cup she continues "My mother passed away peacefully in her sleep just over three weeks ago. It... wasn't unexpected - she was getting fairly old - but still came as a surprise."

"Per my mother's instructions, I informed Vaquera Cremations of her departure and they sent a carriage and transported her remains to their location. She had prepaid for the cremation. She was like that... supporting various small businesses within the neighborhood. She said that we had to do that as our civic duty... to support the small business man and woman."

"I was to retrieve her ashes some 20 days ago. I go to the place, and the mortician there says that my mother’s ashes and personal effects were in storage and it’d take a week to get ‘em."

"Seems fine, right?" She grimaces and takes a long sip from her drink. "Well, I come back a week later and no one’s there. I tried the next day and same thing, no one. The place isn’t boarded up or anything, just locked and closed. So maybe the guy’s sick, right?"

"Well, I went back every day for a week and still nothing. I put in a request with the local constables to look into it, but of course they’re busy, so I wait and wait, and I go back there every day, and there are other people who have been having the same problem, and…"

She takes several deep breaths, followed by another long drink from her cup. Her brow furrows with anger while tears moisten her eyes. "I just want my mother’s ashes back. And the necklace that she wore. She got it from her mother, and her mother before her, so it’s an heirloom. I’m willing to pay you, of course; I have some coin saved away and I am happy to pay it all for..."

GM: *With that good role the above info, plus the Trevithick Rail & Steam Company is one of British leading steam-railway companies of the Empire. They own much of the railway lines and engines in the American & Canadian Colonies and in throughout India. They are only one of many competing railway companies on the British Isle. Also without an Insight check you can tell that as she started talking her manors got... more uncultured the longer and more upset she became. If you had to guess she grew up fairly poor.

 

[Shayuri]

Trebuchet's head canted slightly to one side and ticking noises emanated from him momentarily. Then he asked in that cheerful sounding voice, "Did your mother specify that exact cremation service, or was that simply the most convenient local small provider?" he inquired. "At present, I see no obvious signs of supernatural involvement. It could simply be that the cremetorium went out of business, or was dishonest in its dealings."

"Do you have further evidence to suggest all is not as it seems?"

 

[GreenKarl]

Miss Byrne shakes her head in a negative, adding "No, it could all be a simple matter of the owner fleeing town or some such. But no matter the reason I want my mother's remains and the local constable say they are too busy. I can't just go break into the place, but you also can't leave a body around for so long a time. What if a pack of ghoul smelled out the place and found such a unoccupied storehouse?"

Taking another long drink as she finishes her cup she adds as she is refilling "I will admit that I did not think to come to the Order for aid. I know little of your group, but I have a friend who is a member. When I spoke with him about my situation he said that he would speak within your group about my situation..."

 

[GreenKarl]

"Do you have any other questions?" Miss Byrne asks in a low voice.

Victor pips up saying "Did you mother possess any arcana or psychic abilities? Any history of such in your family?"

Miss Byrne shakes her head in a negative again "No sir"

GM: Just moving it along. Any more questions for Miss Byrne? She will produce a card with Vaquera Cremations address printed on it. It is a few blocks to the south of here, just into a industrial and warehouse district.

 

[Shayuri]

"We may have to contact you again if we learn more. Will you be here?" Trebuchet nodded, his head ratcheting up and down with little clacking noises. "That is my final question for this interview."